Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta and San Giovanni Battista, Clusone, Italy

The Roman Origins

The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta and San Giovanni Battista in Clusone is traditionally believed to have been constructed atop the ruins of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Diana. This belief is primarily based on the writings of Bernardino Baldi, who claimed that a stone bearing the inscription “DIANAE C(…[M(…)S(…)” was walled up in the presbytery apse, suggesting the presence of a temple dedicated to Diana Clusonia. However, this stone was never recovered. Despite the absence of physical evidence, other findings lend weight to this theory, such as a stone dedicated to the spouses Marco Reburro and Pittiena Massima, which was discovered during the pastoral visit of Cardinal Borromeo in September 1575. These stones, along with others, were eventually relocated to the archaeological museum of Bergamo.

The Parish Church

The establishment of Clusone as a religious center began around the 8th century when it became the seat of a parish for the upper Seriana Valley. Until the 5th century, the only episcopal seat was in Bergamo, but with the growing population in the surrounding valleys, the bishop appointed presbyters to oversee the local churches, and Clusone became one such important parish. The first known document mentioning the church is a will from Aucunda, the daughter of Stabile, dating between 828 and 837, which mentions the church of Santa Maria in Clisione. An exchange from 909 further corroborates the presence of the “ecclesia” of Santa Maria in Clusone. Numerous other documents from the parish and episcopal archives attest to its ongoing importance, and by 1260, the church was included in the census of churches imposed by the church of Rome. This census referred to the church as “caput plebis,” indicating its status as the head of the parish.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the church faced numerous challenges, including internal conflicts between the parish’s clergy and the local families, as well as tensions between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions in the region. One notable conflict occurred on May 28, 1297, when an armed group led by the Clusone archpriest, Bonacore de Bunizonibus, a Ghibelline, attacked the bishop’s residence in Ardesio, destroying a small church. This act of aggression led to further tensions within the church, prompting intervention by the bishop of Bergamo, Giovanni da Scanzo, in 1304.

The church was included in the ecclesiastical census conducted by Bernabò Visconti in 1360, which documented the presence of six canons in the church, although four were typically listed in subsequent records. The original structure of the church, built in the 9th century and rebuilt in the 13th century, is difficult to ascertain. However, the diocesan pastoral visit of San Carlo Borromeo in 1575 described the church as “curatam, satis amplam et ornatam,” with a single nave, a wooden ceiling supported by three pointed arches, and 13 altars. There was also a cemetery space in front of the church for communal and private burials.

In 1495, the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament was established, which would go on to become the most important and numerous group within the church.

The 17th Century Reconstruction and Current Structure

By the early 17th century, the old church was deemed unsuitable for the growing needs of the community. In 1613, the construction of a bell tower began, and by 1621, the work was completed. The dome, crowned by the statue of St. John the Baptist, was placed in 1624. However, the church’s physical condition led to the decision to build a new one. This project was initiated by Archpriest Alessandro Ghirardelli in 1659, with funds from his inheritance, following his death in 1686. The new church was designed by Giovanni Battista Quadrio, the son of Gerolamo Quadrio, who had been the architect of the Cathedral of Milan.

The building of the church took place over several years, with modifications to the original design by Gian Maria Terzini and Francesco Cifrondi between 1688 and 1698. By 1711, the new church was consecrated by Cardinal Pietro Priuli, Bishop of Bergamo, and was officially named the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta and San Giovanni Battista. In 1961, the church was granted the title of Minor Basilica by Pope John XXIII, recognizing its historical and spiritual significance. Further renovations continued in the following decades, including the replacement of the old wooden portal with a bronze one in 2010, crafted by Mario Toffetti. This portal features scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist, including his preaching, the prophecy of the arrival of the Lamb of God, the visitation of the Virgin Mary to St. Elizabeth, the calling of the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus, his arrest, and his beheading.